Cancel Texting Plan, only use iMessage

[warrenal]

I couldn't find a thread on cancelling your texting plan and only using iMessage. The majority of my friends have iPhone. But for those that don't, I will communicate via email. Has anyone done this successfully?

Also, is there anyway to set it up where those without iMessage can have their incoming text sent to my email address so I can respond via email but they can continue to use it as a text?

Any help or thought discussion would be great!

 

[r2shyyou]

I couldn't find a thread on cancelling your texting plan and only using iMessage. The majority of my friends have iPhone. But for those that don't, I will communicate via email. Has anyone done this successfully?

Also, is there anyway to set it up where those without iMessage can have their incoming text sent to my email address so I can respond via email but they can continue to use it as a text?

Any help or thought discussion would be great!

I have not personally done this so I can't provide much insight other than that I don't know of a way to re-route texts to email. If there is no such way (others weighing in may have a solution) and depending on your carrier, you could be charged $0.20 to $0.30 per text, depending on whether is an SMS or MMS.

 

[OneMike]

I have done part of what you're saying.

I use iMessage exclusively and have my text plan cancelled. I also have a block on all incoming and outgoing texts to prevent me from being billed. Works perfect. I send as many iMessages as I want and receive for free.

For everyone else I use the google voice app. Gives you a new number you can send receive txts at for free.

As far as the email to text part. I'm pretty sure you can text to an email address from directly within the text app depending on your phone. You'd receive an email from phonenumber@carrier.etc.. some format like that.

 

[warrenal]

I have not personally done this so I can't provide much insight other than that I don't know of a way to re-route texts to email. If there is no such way (others weighing in may have a solution) and depending on your carrier, you could be charged $0.20 to $0.30 per text, depending on whether is an SMS or MMS.

But you can turn off texting in your iPhone settings so you wouldn't be charged for any incoming SMS, right?

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I have done part of what you're saying.

I use iMessage exclusively and have my text plan cancelled. I also have a block on all incoming and outgoing texts to prevent me from being billed. Works perfect. I send as many iMessages as I want and receive for free.

For everyone else I use the google voice app. Gives you a new number you can send receive txts at for free.

As far as the email to text part. I'm pretty sure you can text to an email address from directly within the text app depending on your phone. You'd receive an email from phonenumber@carrier.etc.. some format like that.

Thanks. How did you block on all incoming and outgoing texts to prevent me from being billed?

 

[outz]

But you can turn off texting in your iPhone settings so you wouldn't be charged for any incoming SMS, right?

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Thanks. How did you block on all incoming and outgoing texts to prevent me from being billed?

you can tell the messages apps to only send as an imessage, but that doesn't stop incoming sms... for at&t i had to call them and ask to have all incoming/outgoing sms blocked.

i did the same as the other poster... blocked sms, use imessage, and gv for those that don't have imessage.

 

[APlotdevice]

I'd just like to mention that there are apps such as Yahoo messenger which will sent free SMS messages. (YM can also send instant messages across different platforms)

But you can turn off texting in your iPhone settings so you wouldn't be charged for any incoming SMS, right?

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Thanks. How did you block on all incoming and outgoing texts to prevent me from being billed?

I believe you have to tell you carrier to block the messages. At least that's what I had to do with Verizon.

 

[dickdaney]

I actually did the opposite and added text back to my plan so i didn't have to text the same person from two different apps when imessages don't go through. switching between the messaging app and the GV app got tiresome really fast.

 

[OneMike]

Thanks. How did you block on all incoming and outgoing texts to prevent me from being billed?

When you cancel your text plan just tell them to add:

Text Message Opt-Out
Picture/Video Message Opt-Out

Make sure they add the picture/video message opt-out as well as these are separate and would be more costly than a text message when not having a plan.

 

[vettori]

As far as the email to text part. I'm pretty sure you can text to an email address from directly within the text app depending on your phone. You'd receive an email from phonenumber@carrier.etc.. some format like that.

This usually requires MMS however !

 

[techiegirl]

I turned off "send as SMS" if iMessages isn't available. I also cancelled our family text messaging and changed to $5, 250 text package for 2 of our 5 lines. The other 3 lines, I have text messaging blocked.

I'm using Google Voice app to send texts out and replies go to my email.

 

[beatlehead84]

Or depending on how many texts you receive, keep the texts on and pay per text. I still like to have the option to use sms and it's far cheaper to pay by the text for me than buying a plan. With iMessages I'll probably pay $3 a month now, if even that.

 

[Ruckus09]

But if you have a small data plan, wont imessage use a lot of your data? I have the 300mb package.

 

[APlotdevice]

But if you have a small data plan, wont imessage use a lot of your data? I have the 300mb package.

Nah, the average iMessage is only a few KiloBytes. You would need to send thousands in order to see any kind of dent in your data plan.